Customer Reviews

Apple iMac G5 Desktop with 17" M9249LL/A (1.80 GHz PowerPC G5, 256 MB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, SuperDrive)

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have spent about 30 minutes with each of the iMac configurations (17" and 20") at my local Apple Store and can report on what I've seen.

The design of this machine is brilliant and online pictures do not do it justice. It is remarkably stable and easily adjustable. The cpu/monitor (hereafter refered to as the "slab") tilts vertically with the push of a finger in a smooth motion. The arm that supports the slab also can be slid easily to rotate on the horizontal axis. The slab also supports standard VESA mounts so that the iMac can be attached to the wall on an articulating VESA arm. An interesting design note is that the fullsize components are meticulously arranged in the chassis so that the whole unit is center balanced on the anodized aluminum arm. This alone is an impressive engineering feat. Equally impressive is the user repair/upgradeability of this machine. Virtually every component is easilly accesable and replaceable by the user.

Some people have opinioned that the i/o ports in the rear might look ungainly or make the unit unstable. Not true. The units I looked at had ethernet, usb and firewire cables plugged in and routed through the whole in the base of the stand. It looked very clean and from a stability standpoint I don't think the iMac knew they were there. And by adding an Airport Extreme card and Bluetooth module (yes I agree they should have been standard) You iMac may be completely wireless, save the powercord.

The monitors on both models were sharp and bright with excellent viewing angles. I prefer the 20" model for the extra screen real estate.

The store I visited was very busy and loud so I decided to give the speakers a workout and see if they could cut through the ambient noise. I launched a movie trailer for Nemo and was surprised at how good they sounded. I don't think they can compare to a powered external speaker setup but considering their size and placement (they are inset under the bottom lip of slab and fire down at the desk) they sound very good.

Because the Apple Store I visited was so noisy, I was unable to hear the iMac's fans so I can't report on how the machine would sound in a quiet home office environment. Apple claims it is whisper quiet.

General speed of the 1.8 model was excellent. Applications opened quickly if not instantly and everything felt responsive.

For the benefit of those wavering Windows users out there, I want to make a point about my own experience with processor speed. Before switching from a homebuilt PC with an Athalon 1800 back in 2002 I was worried about the speed hit I would take when moving to a lowly 867mhz G4. I can honestly say that the only thing that suffered was high-end games. Everything else I do on the computer was actually faster! OS X's integration of included software - email, web browser, Calender, iChat (text, audio and video messaging), the iLife Suite (iTunes, iMovie, iPhoto, Garageband and iDVD) and the aftermarket addition of Microsoft Office allow me to do everything much more efficiently. What Apple does better then any other manufacturer is integrate its OS to the hardware and give everyday users a built-in suite of software tools to manage all their core computing needs.

And one more quick aside; in my 2 years on the Mac platform, my machines have never been attacked by malicious spyware or viruses.

If you are looking for a combination of style, speed, usability and long term value, I would highly recommend the new iMac in either monitor configuration. One thing that is rarely mentioned about Macs is their resale value. You can feel comfortable that these machines will hold their value better then any other manufacturer out there. So when it comes time to upgrade in a few years your Mac will be worth half the price of a new model as opposed to 1/10th for a comparable PC.

I have to agree with other reviewers of this system that praise the power, the industrial design and the usability of the iMac G5. Apple has always been an industry leader in user-friendly computing and yet guys like Bob have to jump at any opportunity to slam them.

If Bob had done any research at all, or better yet, had ever USED an iMac for longer than his 2 minute maximum attention span, he would realize that most of his opinions are unfounded.

Software is not an issue and hasn't been for many years. I challenge Bob to list all the essential software he can't live without on his Dell whatever that is unavailable on a Mac. But I'd also take this one step further to suggest that he may need more software to get things done on his PC that can be done in fewer steps with better results on a Mac. The very fact that every new Apple ships with a complete office suite (Apple Works), photo and video editing software (iPhoto, iMovie), not to mention iDVD (a DVD mastering program), iTunes (the industry-leading mp3 software)and Garage Band (a sophisticated music composer) has been completely overlooked by our friend Bob. All that software is in the box! What's even better is that all this software is designed by Apple and designed to work with each other in much the same way. That means once you become comfortable with a particular Apple-designed program, you'll intuitively understand how to find your way around the others. What's more, you can pull elements from each program into another (adding photos to an iMovie and bringing them both into iDVD) without any hassle. At the very most, you might want to pick up a copy of MS Office if you need to, which, by the way, is 100% compatible with the PC version making file sharing perfectly seamless.

Let's not forget about the thousands of 'drivers' that the PC world simply can't live without. You know, those annoying little programs that have to be given to you on a CD rom or download from the internet for your PC so you can operate a printer or a digital camera? In the world of Apple, the drivers for all current and most future peripheral devices are pre-installed. Have a digital camera you want to connect? Plug it in and the Mac instantly recognizes the device and even opens the program you need to use. Have a new printer, plug it in and print. If you're not a computer techie and don't get off on dabbling in DOS, stop wasting your time with a PC.

And to the comments about DELL having better value, check it out. Do your research. To get a comparatively powered machine from Dell (remembering of course that 1.8 Ghz on a Mac equals about 2.6 Ghz on a PC) complete with comparable monitor, graphics card, RAM and software the price is the same if not more. The technical specifications cannot be compared between the two platforms, but it's not worth getting into here.

Fact is, since Apple holds a comparatively small marketshare of consumer computers, most of the general public are unaware of the many, many virtues. If you like to be creative, if you like to be efficient, if you like to use your computer as an extension of your abilities, the iMac should be seriously considered. Once you go Mac, you don't go back.

As an engineer, consultant, businessman, and educator- pramatism (bang per buck) absolutely rules.

No question- having suffered dozens of daily crashes with the latest PCs and Microsoft software, hundreds of OS updates, crippled unreliable Dell and IBM laptops (yet working in aerospace, space and formula one)- I am so P**sed off with the quality (lack thereof) in IT (17 years worth!)....Count the hours wasted and dollars spent on software...

To the new Apple- within 5 minutes it was connected to the Internet, talking with all the printers, scanners, faxes, gamespads, videocams without any hitch whatsoever (REAL WOW). OK so OSX looks scary- 30 minutes to get used to without even looking at the straightfoward manual. Appleworks free office suite reads all my papers and articles without a glitch even though they were written (and crashed) in MS Office. Some software updates- quick with a disk optimiser automatically (no fragmented disks..).

Speedwise an iMac G5 1.6/ 512MB RAM/160 GB HD/17 screen boots up and feels about 3 x faster than a Dell Inspiron Laptop/Pentium 4 1.6/512MB RAM/30GB HD/16VRAM/15 Screen. Never mind the cool factor or that an equivalent Dell costs more.. I even have to move my head from side to side as the screen is so big!

Moans- more power would be great (e.g. better graphics card options, dual processor option) but in reality the iMac is such such a marvel of industrial design in the true sense, doesn/t crash all day, and works very effectively at a great price. BTW I did a factory 1 slot 512MB option so that could 3rd party upgrade another 512 more cost effectively- but am told that the 2 slots do not need to match in size.

Overall- a real winner- My *New* Dell laptop has become a paperweight holding a cable!

UPDATE (a few days later)- everyone who has seen and used the new iMac wants one; I *want to* use the computer (fun!) rather than dread it (Windows); think that office productivity - languishing despite vast IT investments- may rebound if coporations were brave enough to invest in one of these for all staffers... (not one crash in 40 hours use- a record!!!). BTW may start to put in some industrial strength engineering modelling apps soon (with a second new Mac- a Dual PowerMac 3GHz when it comes)...

UPDATE 2- another 512MBRAM (to 1GB pair); big hardware boost for graphics:
Numbers: CINEBENCH 2003-rendering 1 cpu- 170; graphics C4D shading 204; OpenGL SW-L 529; OpenGL HW-l 928; Speedup 4.59
XBENCH Results 146.68

Hard not to smile with this computer- no crashes, virtualPC for Win apps, no viruses- soon m$ free ..

For my entire life, I have been burdened by the lack of ambition that the Windows operating system has shown. It lacks creativity and ingenuity along with its rather unstable nature. Despite this, I have always wondered what it would be like to use a Mac. Many of my friends that had been fed up with Windows have already moved to Macs, and not one of them has ever had any complaints (not to mention a virus :P).

When I think about what it was that really turned me on to the new iMac, I would have to say that its space-saving design was a clear winner for my college desk. My exceptionally powerful home-built PC was not lacking anything, but it just took up too much of my valuable space. I was developing tendonitis from having to set my keyboard on my lap to type as there wasn't enough space on my desk to set it. Now I have a printer, an entire computer, a keyboard, and a mousepad with room left over for writing space. If that isn't a reason to buy one I don't know what is

The second most important thing in my opinion is the price. The only way that I could compare this to other prices was to take an average between a desktop price and a laptop price (how do you compare a computer the size of an LCD monitor to a full desktop?), but it still came out cheaper. The buyer needs to recognize that although this system is a 1.8GHz, it runs a different race than Pentium does and cannot be compared to a mere 1.8 Pentium in performance. The standard software (appleworks) is a bit lacking, but it isn't expensive to upgrade your trial of Microsoft Office to full. Don't think that Microsoft did a bad job with their Office software for a Mac either because, ironically, I like their Office for Mac better than their new release for Windows

The only thing that is compromised is the visual (3D) effects with this iMac. The FX 5200 Ultra is really not that great, and I think that my GeForce 3 Ti 500 ran better, but this computer is not made for the hard-core gamer. I would recommend the dual processor tower to those who want the gaming performance and aren't crunching space.

There is honestly no reason to use Windows anymore with computers like this being offered. This is the first Mac that I have ever owned, and I am certain that the last PC that I have ever owned was sold a week ago to some poor unenlightened soul.

This computer is targeted to the home user and small business user, not the power user. To the artistic type, yet not the artist.

It has enough quirks and extras to make the targeted audience happy. I have been involved in the IT business for 15 years, and this is the first time, that quality and price combination have convinced me to start recommending a Mac (iMac G5) to all home user clients.

You will love the simplicity and style that OSX does things. Whether it is using the Internet, office apps, and the email apps. If you have been wondering about wanting to switch to Mac platform, NOW it's the time.

We have purchased 10 of these machines for our company. (We run a hybrid network of Macs and Win machines). So far the results have been excellent. The users swear by them, and the desks look so much better. Everything seems so neatly organized, around the extra slim machine. We opened one up to add RAM, and to our surprise they are not hard to work on, hence the crowded space.

In the long run, we have concerns about the machine overheating considering the compact design and lack of multiple fans to cool the powerful G5 processor. Also, I would not recommend this machine to graphics artists, needing extra real estate in terms of display, as this machine does not support extended display mode.

I just received my iMac today and i love it. It is much faster than my 2.8ghz P4 but thats not what matters. What matters is that Apple offers such a great user enviroment you wont care how fast it is. To the ignorant reviewers i say this: Macs can run any program (virtual PC), this imac is fully user upgradeable, meaning you the user can replace EVERY item inside the enclosure!, and this iMac is not a laptop in display. This iMac uses full size components inside, the only exception is that slot loading drives are only available in laptop size. If people would only read about a product before they review it the world would be much better. If you hate Macs soo much why do you spend your time to write a useless review on one?
Its sad to say but i firmly believe ignorance of product will ruin Apple.

LONG LIVE THE MAC!

I received my imac 3 days ago and I am simply stunned at how great this computer is. I used to use Windows XP and i am here to say i will never use it again, OSX really is like the light at the end of a dark tunnel. This computer is faster than i thought and probably on par with my 2.8-3ghz Pentium 4, although there is no real way to compare them. Aesthetically this computer is amazing and pictures dont do it justice. The screen is great and its quiet as a whisper. At this time in the PC industry this computer is truly the best and every respectable reviewing magazine published agrees. I would recommend this computer 100% even if your switching to Mac which i highly advise (no spyware, etc.)

As to the review before me, i only wish this person was more informed and actually owned the products he reviews. He dogs every G5 model because he doesnt own one, you can look at his record. This computer is fully user servicable so contrary to what he say, if a part breaks it can be easily replaced! The G5 iMac has been called the most servicable and replacable computer to date. Avoid ignorant reviews, this is the best of the best.

My wife saw an iMac G5 at Christmas time and wanted it. She thought it was pretty. I've worked with PCs for over 15 years and wasn't sure I wanted to invest in a Mac. I finally got one three weeks ago and I can honestly say I'm having a blast with it. I work with over 200 PCs everyday fighting spy ware, viruses, hackers and software problems. It is so refreshing to go and use the Mac and not worry about that stuff. OS X is wonderful.

My children are lined up to use the Mac all day long. I have to wait until 10:00 at night to use it and I'm up until late hours playing around. Our poor PC is getting neglected.
The iLife software is wonderful. My 7 year old son figured out how to use iMovie on his own and he's made two movies. I had to get a book to learn it but have made some incredible slide shows and movies. My wife likes it right in the middle of our kitchen so all her friends can see it because it is so pretty. We are having a blast with it.

My friend purchased a PC the same time I got the Mac. After 3 weeks of installing software to protect the PC and configuring it, he can finally start using it. I had the Mac up and going in about 10 minutes. That included wireless Internet connectivity. We have a wireless keyboard and mouse with the Mac. The only cable I have for the iMac is the power cable. No other ugly cables and the Mac is hooked up wirelessly to the Internet.

I would recommend the iMac without hesitation and now I need to figure out how to get rid of 200 PCs and replace them with Macs.

Can't say enough good things about this computer. It took me about 5min to start using it from the time I got it out of the box. No software to set up - everything is done at the factory. Just plug it in and start using it. Even the packaging is amazing! This computer interfaces like no other machine I worked with before. The OSX is a beautiful system - as stable as my new Porsche. The quality of the materials is second to none. Click on an application or connect your digital camera and this thing just works! No questions asked. The speed is also amazing. No comparison to any windows-based machine I've used at any price! This machine is so superior. At this price, it is a bargain. Throw your PC away and get yourself one of these. You won't regret it.

I just finished setting up my second iMac G5 for a customer. I am totally seduced by the form factor, the functionality, and the ergonomics. Plus, Nanosaur II is absolutely amazing! In terms of design and esthetics, 5.5 stars, without a doubt.

Here's the bad part. Both iMacs I set up have had serious hardware problems that required them to go in immediately for service. This is not what I expect from Apple products, and I am very concerned. I hope this is just some coincidence, but I'm doing a little Web research to see if others are sharing the same experience.

Am I the exception, or is the legendary Apple quality slipping? The problems were a defective SuperDrive (wouldn't write CDs) and an iMac that kept going to sleep (every 10 seconds) once it got completely warmed up). The Superdrive was diagnosed by the vendor's technician, and I just got done with the one that kept going to sleep (yes, we checked out the Energy Saver settings!)

I own a nice chunk of Apple stock, so this is of real concern to me.